


The Bird Which Tamed the Wild Cat

by Allenxedward



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Ash Lynx Lives, Ash is happy, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Focus on happy things, Knotting, M/M, Married Life, Mentions of Past Rape/Noncon, Mpreg, Nesting, Omega Ash, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, alpha eiji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:41:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24977860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allenxedward/pseuds/Allenxedward
Summary: It has been 8 years since Ash left New York to be with Eiji. They have gotten married and settled down. Eiji has always been a kind and understanding Alpha who never pressures his Omega into anything he's not comfortable with. After all this time, Ash thinks he is about ready to finally settle down with Eiji and have a child of their own.
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 26
Kudos: 255





	1. Chapter 1

Ash was finally happy. He laid in bed, still sleeping in. He didn’t have work until 10 and he was going to ensure he stayed in bed until he had to wake up. 

The door of the bedroom opened. Gentle fingers brushed his blond hair off his forehead and Ash felt them place a gentle kiss before whispering, “I’ll see you tonight.” 

“Be safe,” Ash muttered, opening his green eyes to look up at Eiji who was dressed for work already. Ash watched as a golden retriever jumped onto their bed and began to lick his face. “Buddy,” Ash groaned. 

“I will. Breakfast is on the counter when you are ready.” He chuckled and leaned over to kiss Ash, moving the dog out of the way. 

Ash returned the kiss, “Natto?” 

Eiji laughed. “No natto.” 

“Good.” He muttered curled back up in bed, “Thanks.”

Eiji let his eyes linger on the sleeping omega before grabbing his bag and heading out the door. 

Ash slept for a few more hours before his phone buzzed insisting that he woke up and started getting ready. Ash dragged himself out of bed. He hated mornings. He took a shower which woke him up and then sat down for breakfast. Eiji had made him his favorite, shrimp and avocado salad. He sat down and enjoyed, Buddy resting his head on his lap begging for a shrimp. Ash rolled his eyes and tossed him one before reading the paper Eiji had left at the table for him.

Ash read the paper, struggling a bit on certain Kanji he wasn’t too familiar with. He had been living in Japan for eight years now and he could speak the language almost perfectly, but he still had an issue with reading certain Kanji. He had picked up Japanese very quickly which impressed Eiji, he struggled a bit for the first few months but now he was fluent. 

Ash was 25 now, making Eiji 27. They had been living together for 8 years, 5 years of that time they were married for. Aslan (Ash) Okumura was his legal name now. He gently rubbed his thumb over the gold band on his finger. Every single second of all those 8 years had been the best in his life. 

Ash finished breakfast and cleaned the kitchen before getting dressed for work. He rushed out of the apartment after grabbing his briefcase and hurried to the subway. His commute was only 15 minutes which was very nice. He worked for a technology company in the finance department. It was a boring job, but it paid well. 

Ash loved Japan, it was safe and peaceful. Omegas weren’t treated as property and they had basic rights. In the 8 years of him being in Tokyo, only twice did he have an issue with an alpha. The first being an alpha on the train harassing him. Ash dealt with it until it came time for him to disembark which he quickly punched the guy so hard that it knocked him out. Ash never had anyone else harass him personally, but he did witness a young omega school girl being harassed by the same creep and some of his friends. Once Ash approached them, they fled without any need for violence. Since then, Ash hasn’t had any issues. 

He arrived at work and scanned in and before going to his office, he swung by his supervisor’s office. He knocked and peaked his head in. 

The elderly man looked up and welcomed Ash in. “Mr. Okumura, come in. What can I do for you this fine morning?” 

“Good morning Mr. Yagami. I just wanted to remind you that I have my appointment today. Is it still okay if I leave work early?” 

Mr. Yagami grinned. “Of course. As long as you get me that expense budget report, I don’t mind if you head out once that is finished.” 

Ash bowed. “Thank you so much Yagami-san. I greatly appreciate it.” 

Mr. Yagami laughed. “Think nothing of it. You work so hard. I need about twenty more of you.” 

Ash laughed, “Well you have a good day. I’ll get you that expense report by noon.” 

Mr. Yagami waved him off and Ash walked to his office and logged into his computer and began working. He stopped after an hour to get some coffee, taking a small five-minute break. He looked at his desk to see a framed photo of his wedding day. Both Eiji and himself were dressed in nice black suits. Ash had his hair slicked back and Eiji had his combed down. 

Sing, Max, Michael, Jessica, and Ibe all came to the wedding. The pair also live-streamed the wedding so the rest of his friends in New York could also watch it too. 

His phone pinged with a new message confirming his appointment at 3 pm, Ash acknowledged it and finished the report before packing up. He gave Mr. Yagami the report and he excused himself for the rest of the day. 

Ash stopped into a department store and looked around. He found a beautiful watch. It was definitely something that Eiji could use. Eiji was so easy to shop for, he was a practical person just like himself. An attendant got the watch out of the case and Ash examined it. He paid for it and asked the attendant to wrap it too. 

Today was the 2nd of May with tomorrow being Eiji’s birthday. Ash had everything planned. He had reservations at a fancy restaurant and while there he would give them his presents. 

“Would it be too much trouble to wrap this too?” Ash asked, handing her a pacifier in a plastic wrap with a tip for her services. 

“Yes sir.” She accepted both and wrapped the pacifier before handing both of the items to him. Ash placed both in his briefcase before stopping for lunch at a ramen joint. Once he was done, he took the train to his appointment. He was early by an hour, but he signed in at the receptionist and sat down among the rest of the women and omegas. He glanced around the room seeing about six women, some of them had their partners with them and thick swollen bellies while others were most likely here for a check-up like himself. He removed a book from his briefcase and put on his glasses before reading. 

The omegas and women were called back based on their appointment time and eventually Ash’s name was called. He packed his book away and walked back with the nurse. 

The nurse led him to a room and gave him privacy to change. He stripped and put on the hospital gown. He had been to a gynecologist many times in America especially with his past, but this was the first time seeing a doctor in Japan. It made him laugh a bit to think that for 8 years he has been safe from sexual assaults. Even during his heats, Eiji politely left Ash alone upon the omega’s request. 

Ash knew it must be hard for Eiji, especially through his ruts, but no matter what his husband never complained. If Eiji was in a rut, he would go to a hotel so Ash would not be affected and if Ash was in heat, Eiji would go to his parents or stay at the hotel to let it pass. Eiji never asked Ash for sex or pushed him to do anything he didn’t want. They cuddled and made out, but it never escalated from there. Eiji respected his omega and Ash loved him so much for it but for about a year now Ash was beginning to act weird and he knew it. Eiji was too polite to say, but Ash called himself out on it after he stole several of Eiji’s used sweaters from the dirty hamper and began to build a nest out of them. He was nesting! He researched his behavior to find it quite normal of omegas to nest once they felt that they were safe and happy with an alpha. It typically was a sign to an Alpha that they were ready and capable of breeding and caring for a child. 

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.” He called. 

A female doctor walked in, “Ash Okumura?” 

“Yes.” He said and confirmed his birthdate, his second gender, when his last cycle was, and double-checked his name again with her before the doctor sat on a stool before him.

“So you are in for a basic checkup?”

“Yes but also to get your opinion on if I’m suitable for having a child.” 

The doctor was confused. “Would there be any reason you wouldn’t be?” 

Ash hung his head, refusing to meet the beta’s eyes. “I have a history with sexual assaults and rape. I have had a total of eight abortions and one miscarriage. I was also on illegal suppressants on and off for about two years. But I’ve been clean for eight years now and my mate and I are thinking about finally having a baby.”

The doctor was sympathetic with Ash, she had heard of cases such as his but never personally dealt with any. “I am sorry, but I am happy that you and your mate have moved on and are now happy enough to settle down.” She looked through his paperwork before proceeding to the examination. 

Ash always was uncomfortable during these exams, but who wasn’t. 

The doctor wrote some notes on her clipboard. “I do see scarring which is common for someone who has been assaulted like you, but the good news is that you look perfectly healthy. I can gladly perform some extra tests, but my personal opinion is that you are ready for your next heat which by your records shows that it should be soon. I will prescribe some fertility supplements for both you and your partner to take, these you can find at any drugstore.” She wrote down the names of the supplements and gave them to Ash. “And hopefully I will see you back in here in a few months for an ultrasound.” 

Ash was bright red. “Th-Thanks.” 

“I’ll leave you to change now.” The doctor excused herself and left Ash to change back into his suit. He looked at the list, he was really doing this.

####

Eiji was cooking dinner when Ash got home after making a stop at the drugstore to pick up the supplements he needed. Eiji was sauteing some chicken and dancing with Buddy as music blared. He looked up when Ash entered and ran over taking his briefcase from him and setting it down on the table before taking his hand and leading him into a dance as Buddy bounced around them, craving attention. 

Ash laughed and danced with his husband. At that moment, Ash didn’t care about anything. Everything didn’t matter, he just wanted to be here with Eiji. Eiji was the reason for his happiness.


	2. Chapter 2

Eiji sat beside Ash in bed as he worked on his computer while Ash read a book. Ash glanced over at the time as 11:59 pm turned into 12:00 am. He placed his book down on the nightstand and took his glasses off before putting them in their case. He pushed back the covers and stood.

Eiji glanced over, “Are you going to bed?” He asked, saving his work. 

Ash walked around to Eiji’s side of the bed and took his laptop from him and placed it on Eiji’s nightstand. 

Eiji looked at him confused before his eyes widened as Ash climbed on top of Eiji, playfully pinning him down. Eiji couldn’t help but giggle as Ash began to kiss him. He was an alpha and it would be a disgrace by society norms for an omega to pin their alpha down, but he didn’t care. He loved his omega. He loved Ash. 

Eiji gently cupped Ash’s face with one hand and laced his other in the omega’s silky blond hair as Ash kissed him. Eiji’s tongue welcomed Ash’s as the omega explored his mouth. 

Ash broke their kiss for the two to catch their breath. 

Eiji laughed. “What has gotten into you?” 

“Happy Birthday,” Ash whispered in his husband’s ear before going in for another kiss.

“Thank you but you don’t have to do this.” 

“I want to,” Ash said as he laid on his alpha’s chest. 

Eiji held Ash, they never cuddled like this. Ash didn’t like to be held too often. Eiji took no offense to it, of course, but he still loved holding his omega. Eiji kissed the top of Ash’s head, taking a deep breath. Ash always smelled so good, Eiji could not describe his scent in words. Well, he did have a hint of coconut and mango but that was from their body wash and shampoo. He gently rubbed Ash’s mate mark which was located at the base of his neck. 

Ash relaxed into Eiji’s touch, it felt so nice. Omegas loved it when alphas massaged their mate mark scar it was a natural relaxant. Ash hummed in pleasure and buried his face into his alpha’s chest breathing him in. Ash could smell the lavender detergent they used and it mixed so well with Eiji’s scent. The scent of love and the protection of an alpha. 

“Ash,” Eiji said. 

“Hmmm?” He asked, his green eyes meeting Eiji’s warm brown eyes.

“I love you.” Eiji smiled. 

Ash blushed and looked away. “Why do you have to be so mushy?” 

Eiji laughed. “You were the one who climbed onto me and started making out with me. Now, I’m the mushy one?”

“Yes,” Ash stated. 

Eiji laughed and hugged his omega. “This is nice.” 

“It is.” Ash agreed as he laid on his alpha’s chest, he was a larger omega and Eiji was a small alpha so Ash constantly felt like he was crushing Eiji when he was laying on him, but his alpha never complained. Eiji was everything that was right with this world. “What do you think of babies?” 

Eiji was taken by surprise by the question. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean.” Ash sighed. “You want one, right?” 

Eiji sighed and hugged Ash. “Maybe one day when we are ready.” 

Ash sat up, pushing off Eiji’s chest, making him grunt from the sudden push off. “You mean when I’m ready.” Ash accused him. 

Eiji gently pushed Ash’s hair back, looping the strands behind his ear. “You’re right. I want us both to be ready. Having a child is a big responsibility, especially for an omega. I don’t want to put that type of strain on you until you are certain that you are ready. I want this to be something that you want.” Eiji sat up a bit to try to reach Ash. “To answer your question,” He gently kissed Ash’s soft lips and touched their foreheads together. “I would love to have a child with you, but only when you think you are ready.” 

Ash felt his eyes brim with some tears, he looked away and tried to blink them out of existence.

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” Ash insisted. “You know I don’t like people seeing me cry. It’s humiliating.”

Eiji chuckled. “I’m not just anybody. I’m your husband.”

“That makes it so much worse.” 

Eiji laughed. “What is all this about anyway?” 

Ash seemed to mull over the idea before rolling off Eiji and dashing out of the room, leaving a very confused Eiji in his wake. 

Eiji sat up and Ash walked back in with a wrapped box. 

He sat on the bed beside his alpha and offered it. 

“What’s this?” Eiji asked, accepting the box and tearing off the wrapping. 

“It’s a part of your birthday gift, you will get the other part tonight during dinner but I want you to have this now.” 

Eiji narrowed his eyes suspiciously before opening the box to find a pacifier. He was dumbfounded for a minute. “Wait. Are you suggesting we-?” 

Ash showed Eiji a heat tracker app on his phone. “My heat will start in about three more days and I,” Ash licked his lips and took a deep breath before looking at Eiji with his eyes filled with determination. “I want to spend it with you. I want you to breed me.” 

Eiji shook his head. “No.” 

Ash was shocked, “No? What do you mean? I thought you would want this.” 

Eiji chuckled and gently caressed his omega’s cheek. “You are not something that you simply breed with, you are worth so much more. Ash, if you want, I would love to spend your heat with you and make love to you. If our lovemaking turns into a child then I couldn’t ask for more.”

Ash looked away as his eyes brimmed with tears once again. “How the hell do you always have the words I need to hear? Damn, I hate you for it.” 

Eiji smiled and kissed the back of Ash’s hand. “Thank you. You have made this the best birthday ever.” 

Ash rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, just shut up and make out with me.” He said, laying down with his husband. 

“As you wish, my love.” Eiji held Ash as they cuddled together kissing each other and whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears.


	3. Chapter 3

Eiji couldn’t get his mind off Ash. He had been staring at his computer screen for the last twenty minutes trying to write an article about the new recycling laws but failing to come up with a single word. 

He glanced over at a transitional picture frame that was sitting on his desk. He watched as the picture of Ash and him on their wedding day turned into a picture of them on the beach. Ash’s nose and cheeks were reddened by the sun, but he had his arms wrapped around Eiji as they took the selfie with the waves in the background. The picture changed again to a picture of Ash sleeping on the couch, his reading glasses askew with one arm laid on Buddy who was sleeping on his chest and the other arm dangling off the couch with a book lying abandoned on the floor.

“Happy birthday!” 

The sudden noise in the silent office startled Eiji back into reality to see Ibe as he approached his desk. “Thanks.” He laughed it off. 

“Any special plans tonight?” Ibe asked.

Eiji smiled. “Ash made reservations at The Sky.” 

“Fancy.” Ibe chuckled. 

“I’m excited,” Eiji admitted, but his face fell. “Can I talk to you about something?” 

“Sure!” 

Eiji glanced around from his little cubicle, “Can we go into your office?” 

“How about we go out for some coffee? It’s on me, birthday boy.” 

“Sounds good,” Eiji said, standing and following Ibe out. 

They walked down the street to a local coffee shop and ordered, before taking a seat at a table with their coffees. 

“What’s bothering you?” Ibe asked. 

“It’s a bit personal,” Eiji warned. 

“Come on, kid. I’ve known you forever! What’s wrong? Do you have a rash or something?” 

Eiji laughed. “No. Nothing like that. Um... Well. Don’t tell anyone okay? Not even Max.”

“You have my word,” Ibe promised. “Now what is it? You’re making me nervous. One of you isn’t dying right?” 

“No. Um… Ash mentioned,” Eiji swallowed nervously, “That he might be ready to have a child.” 

“Well good for you!” Ibe patted Eiji on his back. “About time if you asked me. An alpha your age typically already has a child or two by now. That’s amazing.” He paused for a minute. “But why are you so conflicted about it?” 

Eiji sighed. “I don’t know if Ash is ready for a child just yet.” 

“Why do you say that?” 

“He’s undergone a lot of trauma in his life. Just us, you know, mating.” Eiji whispered the word. “Might not go well. I don’t want to traumatize him any further.” 

Eiji’s mind went to a specific memory a year and a half ago. Ash was in heat and he had asked Eiji to spend it with him. Eiji obliged and got everything ready for his omega including getting plenty of condoms, sports energy drinks to keep up electrolytes, and preparing cold towels to help ease Ash’s heat. Eiji was so gentle and he had gotten further than he ever had with Ash, but it wasn’t enough. The furthest he had gotten with Ash was just getting inside, he didn’t even have a chance to knot him before Ash broke down. On that attempt, he knotted his omega, but Ash broke down in tears. Eiji had never seen Ash so broken, typically the omega was always so composed. Eiji tried to comfort Ash as his knot deflated, but Ash didn’t want to be touched. Eiji had packed up his bags and left for the hotel once the two were separated and they never talked about that incident again. 

“Our sex life is very… difficult.” Eiji whispered. “Ash was seeing a therapist for a while, but he quit going. He hated seeing them and I couldn’t convince him otherwise. I just worry you know?” 

Ibe nodded. “You’re concerned that he is not going to want you to mate him once you start.” 

Eiji blushed bright red. 

“Well, have you two thought of doing it with assistance.” 

Eiji was confused. “What do you mean?” 

“Like with a doctor. You know, you provide the goods and the doctor puts it into Ash.” 

Eiji was bright red. “I mean… it’s an option. But, Ash seems like his heart is set on the traditional ways.” 

Ibe sipped the coffee. “Well, that is exciting. So you two are going to have to try to time his heat.” 

“Oh, Ash already did that.” 

Ibe’s eyes widened. “Really?” He chuckled, “Is he nesting?” 

“Yeah! Look,” Eiji pulled up pictures on his phone and showed Ibe different nests that Ash had made around the house. The nests were comprised of Eiji’s sweaters and used blankets which Ash had set up on the couch, in a corner of the house which gets lots of sunshine, the bed, and one that incorporated Buddy’s dog bed into it. 

Ibe chuckled. “Ash is always so hard to picture as being domestic. But I can actually visualize him making those.” 

Eiji smiled. “Yeah,” He sighed. “I just want to make him happy.” 

“He already is.” 

Eiji smiled brightly before showing Ibe more pictures he had taken.


	4. Chapter 4

Ash was not feeling well. He typically felt sick the day before his heat so he was right on time. He trudged through the apartment and poured himself a glass of water and looked at the time. It was 6 pm meaning his husband would be home any minute now. Ash got his water and curled up on the couch, using a blanket to make a small nest. He dug into the cushions and pulled out one of Eiji’s sweaters that he had hidden and cuddled it. He buried his face into the sweater and breathed deeply, breathing in his alpha’s scent.

Buddy walked over and sat on the floor, looking up at Ash. 

Ash smiled and scratched the dog behind his ear. “How do you feel about a baby?” 

Buddy licked his hand and Ash chuckled, “I’m going to take that as a yes.” 

The lock clicked on the front door and Eiji entered, grinning when he saw Ash on the couch. “Good evening!” He set his groceries down and walked over. 

When Eiji took his coat off, Ash spied the new watch that he gave his husband the other night during dinner. 

Eiji kneeled down and kissed Ash’s forehead before touching his own against it. “You feel warm already.” 

“I already have a pad on too. My slick started up about noon.” 

“Are you feeling alright? Need a cold towel? Cold bath?” 

“No. I’m fine.” 

“Okay. I was going to make you a shrimp and avocado salad for dinner. I figured that something cold would be nice. Otherwise, I can make curry.”

“No, the salad sounds good. Thanks.”

Eiji kissed him again before going to unpack the groceries. He stocked the fridge with some heat energy drinks that were good for omegas so they don’t get dehydrated and he even bought a few drinks designed for alphas to help with electrolyte replenishment and fertility. As he put groceries away, he felt a weight on his shoulder and arms wrapped around his chest. Eiji laughed and kissed the top of Ash’s head, his face buried in his shirt. “What am I going to do with you? You should go lay down. Get comfortable and let me pamper you.” 

Ash sighed. “I’m…” Ash shook his head and rested it against Eiji’s shoulder again. Damn, he smelled so good!

“Hmm?” 

Ash muttered something into Eiji’s shirt, but he couldn’t hear anything. 

“I can’t hear you.”

Ash muttered again, but it was still incomprehensible. 

“Ash, love, what?”

“I want to mate with you,” Ash muttered softly, no longer muffling his words in Eiji’s shirt. 

Eiji was stunned.

“I know I’m not fully in heat yet, but I want to. I want to do it while I know it’s you and not my lust-filled mind.”

Eiji gently untangled himself from Ash’s arms and turned to face him. 

The omega had his head drooped, looking at the floor like a child who said something naughty. 

“Hey,” Eiji gently lifted Ash’s chin up. “I love you. Don’t ever be ashamed to ask me for something like that.” He gently pushed a strand of blond hair behind his ear to see his beautiful green eyes. “I wish I could give you the world, but even then that would still not be enough.” 

Tears formed in Ash’s eyes and he looked away. “Fucking hormones.” 

Eiji laughed. “So, do you want to do it?” 

Ash nodded. 

“Okay. You go get yourself relaxed and get ready. I’m going to make us some dinner and place it in the fridge.” 

Ash kissed Eiji and walked to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, making sure to shave and wash off any sweat. He dried off and opened up a drawer and found a little bottle of omega pheromone which was supposed to increase the scent of his own pheromones. He had never used it though it had been a wedding gift from Max. He opened it and dabbed a bit on his scent gland. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was nervous as hell. 

He put on a shirt and boxers before climbing into bed. Wait! Was the shirt too much? He took the shirt off and threw it on the ground. Damn! Now was he underclothed? He has had sex more times than he could count, but he never truly prepared for someone with vigor. Maybe he should put on sweats and not just boxers?

A soft knock on the door announced Eiji. 

“Come in,” Ash said, his confidence a little shaken. 

Eiji peaked his head in before fully entering. “Just making sure you are still up for this.” 

Ash nodded, slightly hesitating before saying, “Yeah.” 

Eiji sat on the bed beside Ash and kissed his cheek. “Hey, you are in control of this. Tell me to stop or go slower and I’ll oblige, okay?” 

“Okay.” Ash agreed. 

Eiji began to unbutton his shirt. 

“No, let me,” Ash said, pushing Eiji’s hands away and gently unbuttoning the alpha’s shirt in his stead. 

Eiji sniffed the air and leaned into Ash to smell his neck. “You smell really good.” 

Ash blushed. “Do I not normally smell good?” He teased, trying to fluster his alpha. 

“No! You always smell good. You just smell extra good tonight. Maybe it’s your heat.” 

“Or it’s a pheromone enhancer that Max gave us for our honeymoon.” 

“It’s nice. I like it.” 

Ash smiled and gently ruffled his husband’s hair. “I’ll wear it more then.” He laughed and threw off Eiji’s shirt. “Now your pants.” He insisted. 

Eiji chuckled and stood to unbutton his pants and strip down to just his boxers. He sat back down by Ash. “Still feeling alright?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Relax.” Eiji cooed and began to kiss him. 

Ash relaxed, enjoying the make-out session. 

Eiji began to nibble on Ash’s neck, leaving small marks as he teased Ash’s mate mark. 

Ash wrapped his arms around Eiji and tried his hardest to relax. His mind was so busy, but Eiji was so gentle. Thoughts of his past struggled to get in, but as he felt Eiji’s touch he knew it wasn’t any of those sick fucks who molested and raped him. This was Eiji. His sweet, loving Eiji. His husband and the love of his life.

“-tion? Ash?” 

Ash snapped out of his thoughts. “Hmm?”

“I was just asking if we are using protection?” 

Ash shook his head. “No. I’m,” Ash took a deep breath. “I want a baby.”

Eiji kissed Ash. “Let’s see what we can do.” They pulled back the covers and while Eiji was kissing Ash, the omega felt a finger slid down the band of his underwear and pull them down. 

Ash reached up and slide Eiji’s underwear down too. 

They had seen each other naked many times. Ash always appreciated Eiji’s body and though he was a small alpha, he made up for it with his dick. He was impressive. 

Eiji carefully examined Ash’s downstairs. As an omega, Ash’s own member was very small and he didn’t have a scrotum. Instead, he had a vagina just like a female and other omegas. Eiji gently kissed along Ash’s chest and down his belly which was just a distraction as Eiji inserted a finger into his mate to try to help stretch him. 

Ash knew there was no point in insisting there was no need. He had spent most of his life being sexually abused, he could take it, but Eiji insisted on making sure Ash won’t get hurt during their intercourse. 

“Are you okay?” Eiji asked. 

Ash nodded. “Just nervous.” He admitted. 

“Hey,” Eiji kissed him. “Don’t be nervous. Enjoy this. It’s just you and me. I love you. I want you to feel good.” 

Ash nodded. “I love you too.” 

“Just you and me. Clear everything from your mind.” 

Ash took a deep breath. “I’m ready.” 

“Okay.” Eiji kissed Ash and gently pushed in, Ash’s slick making it easily slide right in, but he had to be careful to not go too fast. 

Once Eiji was in, he gently thrust trying to find the perfect spot for his omega. 

Ash focused on Eiji, locking eyes with him. As Eiji grew comfortable with the rhythm, he littered Ash’s faces with kisses as the omega moaned in pleasure. 

Eiji’s knot was already beginning to swell. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, he was barely better than a virgin after all. But if he wanted to breed Ash he needed the omega to orgasm. The alpha part in his brain screamed for him to breed his omega, but he had to time it right. Eiji let his instincts take over. 

Ash had never felt so good. Eiji’s thrusts were slow but perfectly timed for what he needed. He moaned and wrapped his legs around his alpha’s waist, begging him to probe deeper. 

Eiji was so close. A particularly loud moan from Ash was all he needed, he sank his teeth into the bite mark which caused Ash’s body to convulse and Eiji’s knot locked into place as it spilled his load into him. 

Ash shivered after his orgasm. He had only ever orgasmed twice in his life, but this was something completely different. This felt right. His insides warmed as Eiji unleashed his load, filling him to the brim. Ash held onto Eiji, knowing they were going to be knotted together for the next 15 minutes. It was typically at this point that his mind wandered and he panicked. 

Eiji wiped the blood off his mouth and cuddled his mate. “Feeling okay?” 

“Yeah…” Ash muttered. “Do you think we did it? Am I pregnant?” 

“I don’t know.” Eiji smiled at Ash and wiped some sweat off the omega’s brow. “We will just have to keep trying until something sticks.” 

Ash nodded. “You’ve been eating the fertility supplements, right?” 

“Everyday.” 

“Good.” 

Eiji cuddled Ash and pulled the blanket over their bodies. “How about we just enjoy this? Just you and me and maybe,” Eiji placed his hand over the small of Ash’s stomach, “Someone else.” 

Ash blushed before scowling. “Don’t say cheesy stuff like that.”

Eiji laughed, “Yes, dear.” 

Ash turned away, but as he turned he couldn’t help but smile softly.


	5. Chapter 5

Ash removed his glasses and reclined in his chair with a sigh. He was exhausted from staring at the excel spreadsheet in front of him all day. He needed to finalize the payroll and get that sent to Mr. Yagami by the end of the day and he was only halfway through. He picked up his coffee cup and found it empty. He sighed and stood walking to the front reception. Mrs. Sato always made the best coffee. He walked over and found three female associates gushing over some flowers that had just been delivered. 

The bouquet was beautiful with bright yellow sunflowers, hot pink roses, orange carnations, and purple statice in a glass vase with a twin bow. Ash walked behind the counter and filled his cup before asking Mrs. Sato, “The flowers are beautiful. Who are they for?” 

“You actually.” Mrs. Sato smiled. 

Ash’s face flushed but quickly turned into a blush as his coworkers began to fonder over Ash wishing they had a mate who would buy them flowers and others wishing that they had a mate. Ash plucked the card out and read: With Love, Eiji. 

Ash left the flowers there for the rest of the office to enjoy before returning to his desk and pulling out his phone. 

>You sent me flowers. Why?

Ash waited a minute until he saw the ellipses meaning that Eiji was responding. 

>Do I need a reason to let you know that I love you?

Ash rolled his eyes. 

>Thank you. They are beautiful. You probably need to be careful coming into my work now. I have a set of coworkers lined up threatening to take you if you ever become single. 

>I have options?

> :(

>JK I love you! Have a great day and know that the flowers are only the second prettiest thing in your office. 

Ash blushed. 

>I’ll see you tonight. It’s my turn to cook.

>Can’t wait!

Ash put his phone away and smiled brightly. Damn, he loved that man!


	6. Chapter 6

Ash sat up in bed after a particularly bad nightmare. He looked around the room, trying to ground himself. He wasn’t in Dino’s mansion, he was in his apartment. He wasn’t being raped by the pedophile. He had been sleeping right beside his husband. His stomach rolled. God, he felt sick. He laid back down, all of the rustlings finally waking Eiji. 

Eiji shifted in bed and gently stroked Ash’s blond hair. “You okay?” 

“I feel sick,” Ash muttered. 

Eiji shifted a little closer to Ash to hold him and pressed his forehead to his husband’s. “You don’t feel sick. Maybe it was just a nightmare that has you all jittery.” 

“Yeah. Has to be.” 

“Go back to bed.” Eiji yawned and held Ash in his arms as he tried to go back to sleep.

Ash laid awake, his stomach was all in knots. He looked at the time, 4:02 am. He closed his eyes and tried to let his stomach settle but it kept getting worse. He felt like he had his eyes closed for 10 minutes but when he looked at the time he watched as the digital clock switched to 4:03 am. Ash tried to sit up, but a rush of nausea hit him and he threw off the covers and pushed Eiji away as he rushed to the bathroom. 

Eiji was startled away by the aggressive push and sat up startled to hear his omega vomiting in the bathroom. Eiji jumped out of bed and rushed in to see Ash gagging into the toilet. He coughed and gagged as more came up. 

Eiji rushed to the kitchen and brought Ash a glass of water. “Get it out.” He said, sitting by his mate and gently rubbing the mating mark on his neck to try to soothe the omega. 

Ash was pale. 

“Do you need medical attention?” 

“No.” Ash gagged again. 

“Water?” 

Ash nodded and took the glass from his alpha. He swished the first mouthful in his mouth before spitting it out before drinking the rest of the glass. 

“Did you eat something bad?” Eiji asked. 

Ash shook his head. “Can I have some privacy?” 

Eiji was surprised by the request, but he obliged. “Of course. Just call me if you need me. I’ll make some toast, it should help your stomach.”

“Thank you.” 

Eiji kissed his mate’s cheek before leaving and closing the door behind him. 

Ash gagged again, but his stomach was empty. He swished his mouth out again. He recognized this. He got sick like this after he found out he was pregnant with Dino’s child. He got terrible morning sickness when he was pregnant which means…

He looked through a drawer and found a pregnancy test. 

Ash took the test and sat on the toilet as he waited. His stomach was still in horrible knots and he felt like he was going to vomit at any minute, but he was filled with hope.

He peaked at the digital clock in their bedroom to keep time, but immediately at the mark, he jumped to action to read the results. 

His hands shook a little and tears came to his eyes. It was faint, but it was there. He had the second line. He was pregnant! 

Ash shuffled into the kitchen and looked at his husband as he cooked toast and some white rice. 

Eiji finally noticed after a few seconds that he was being watched and his face fell when he saw tears in Ash’s eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital? Let me grab a bag.” 

“No,” Ash caught his arm. “I’m fine,” Ash said before correcting himself, “We are fine.” He said showing him the pregnancy test.

Eiji looked at his husband confused. He thought about the stick in his omega’s hands, the sickness, and the weird usage of ‘We’. 

Wait! Hold it!

“Are you pregnant?” Eiji asked. 

Ash laughed and nodded, feeling another tear fall down his cheek. “You are going to be a father.” 

Eiji hugged Ash and kissed him over and over again. “You’re pregnant! We’re having a baby! You’re pregnant! Wait, you are pregnant, right? I’m not reading the situation wrong?” 

Ash laughed and gently guided Eiji’s hand to the small of his stomach, “I’m pregnant with your child Eiji.” 

It was Eiji’s turn to tear up and Ash laughed. “No, we both can’t be sobbing messes. It’s my turn to cry, you idiot.” 

“I’m sorry.” Eiji wiped his eyes. “I’m just so happy. I know this is something that you’ve wanted for a long time.” 

Ash wiped his eyes. “Don’t apologize.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Ash laughed and hugged his husband before sniffing the air. “Uh, Eiji… I think the toast is-” 

Eiji didn’t hear the rest over the sound of the fire alarm going off.


	7. Chapter 7

Eiji moved a jar of jam out of the way looking for his own jar of natto but he couldn’t find it. “Ash? Have you seen the natto I bought yesterday?”

Ash looked up from his newspaper. “No.” He answered simply. 

Eiji pulled out more stuff from the fridge. “This is crazy. Two jars in a week?” 

“Maybe you don’t remember eating it. You have had early shifts this week.” Ash shrugged and put his breakfast plate away. “I got to go to work.” He kissed his husband and Eiji returned the kiss. “Alright. Be safe you two.” He grinned and Ash rolled his eyes but smiled to himself as he walked out. 

Ash took the train to work and signed in at his job. “Good morning Mrs. Yagami.” 

“Good Morning!” Mrs. Yagami paused and looked at Ash. “Something is different about you Mr. Okumura.” 

“And what’s that?” He chuckled. 

“I don’t know.” She pursed her lips. “But you smell different. It’s slight but,” Her eyes then light up. “Are you pregnant?”

Ash’s eyes widened and he ducked behind her desk, so no one would see who she was talking to. “Why would you say that?” 

She laughed. “It’s a mother’s intuition, plus, you smell like my youngest son when he was pregnant.” 

Ash blushed. 

“So, how far along are you?”

“About a month we think.” 

“Any symptoms?” 

“A few,” Ash sighed. “I have really bad morning sickness.”

“Poor thing. I remember what that’s like.” 

“And I’ve had cravings.” 

“Cravings? For what?” 

Ash groaned, “I’ve been eating my husband’s natto. I hate the stuff, but the baby loves it.” 

“Just use caution eating too much if you’re not used to it since you are pregnant.”

“Yeah. Well, I need to slow down anyway. My husband is starting to grow suspicious.” 

Mrs. Yagami laughed. “You should just tell him.” 

“No! That will lead to a well, not necessarily an argument. But he will do this little ‘I told you so’ thing without even saying it. He will just have this little smile and that makes it so much worse!”

Mrs. Yagami laughed, “You two sound like my husband and me. Well, if you want. I have a bunch of stuff leftover from when my youngest was living with me with his baby. I have toys, diapers, baby food, even a crib if you would like it.” 

Ash’s eyes light up. “I would love that!” 

“Oh good! I’ve been meaning to get all that stuff out of my house.” She smiled, “Again, Mother’s intuition.”

Ash chuckled. “Well I need to get to work. Please just keep this a secret for now. I’ll announce it once I start showing.” 

Mrs. Yagami did the little zipping her lips motion and smiled as Ash walked to his office. 

####

“When were you going to tell me?” Eiji asked. 

Ash muted the television and looked at his husband. “Tell you what?” He asked as he pet Buddy who laid in his lap. 

Eiji held up the empty jar of natto. “Found this in the trash.”

Ash groaned. He should have known that Eiji would have kept looking into it. It was the reporter’s side of him that just had to know. “So you dug through the trash to find an empty jar?” 

“That you threw out.” Eiji clarified. “You always throw out glass.” He said, washing the jar out so he can prep it for recycling. 

“Fine. It was me. Mystery solved.” Ash turned the television sound back on. 

“But why? If you don’t like the smell you should have told me. I can eat something else for a while.” 

“That’s not.” Ash sighed. “It has nothing to do with the smell.” 

“Then what is it?” 

Ash turned the television off. “Do not do the thing when I tell you.” 

“What thing?”

“You have a thing!” Ash grumbled. “It pisses me off.” 

“Ash,” Eiji sighed. “Just tell me.” 

“I ate it.” The omega muttered and just as Ash predicted Eiji gave a little smile and looked away. “There it is! You’re doing it!” 

“Doing what?” Eiji asked innocently, trying to hide the smug smile. 

“That smile!” 

“I’m smiling Ash!” 

“No! That’s an ‘I told you so’ smile!”

“Fine! It’s amusing that you suddenly like natto now and I can only guess that it’s because the baby likes it.” 

Ash flicked his green eyes toward Eiji, irritated to see his husband with a shit-eating grin. “I hate you.” 

“Oh come on! Don’t be like that! I wasn’t certain, but I did want to make sure you were good, so I bought an extra jar for you,” He said, showing him two jars. “But you need to eat yours in moderation, okay?” 

“Fine,” Ash muttered, hugging Buddy. 

Eiji grinned. “You are going to be outnumbered by natto consumers in this house very soon.” 

“I know and I hate it.” Ash groaned and flopped back onto the couch. 

Eiji laughed, “I love you.” 

“Open that jar and give me a spoon and then we will talk.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I like you with glasses.” 

Ash looked up at his husband as Eiji offered him a cup of tea. “Thanks.” He accepted and sipped it as he continued reading. 

Eiji got in bed with his omega and laid down and just looked at Ash. 

Ash could feel Eiji’s eyes on him. He glanced over at his alpha and then focused his eyes back on his book, but he could still feel his alpha’s eyes. “What?” He asked. 

“Nothing.”

Ash sipped his tea, still feeling the eyes. He put his book away and laid down with Eiji, giving him his full attention. “What?” 

“Nothing! This doesn’t have to be anything.” 

“But it is something, what is it?” Ash argued. 

“I was just thinking.” Eiji gently looped a strand of blond hair behind Ash’s ear. 

“About what?”

“You.” 

Ash couldn’t help but smile. “What about me?” 

“Well, I was thinking that when I get back from that job in Kyoto, you and I should take a little vacation.” 

Ash smiled. “What do you have in mind?”

“The beach.” 

“That sounds nice.” Ash scooted closer to Eiji, signaling that he wanted to be held by his alpha. 

Eiji gladly obliged and held Ash close, kissing the top of his head, resting his cheek against Ash’s silky hair. 

“Which beach?” 

Eiji sighed, he knew this was coming. “Isana?” 

Ash’s face fell with annoyance. “Isn’t Isana beach in Izumo?”

Eiji grinned nervously. 

“This isn’t a beach getaway. We are going to see your family!” Ash scrunched his nose.

Eiji laughed it off. “You say that like a bad thing.”

“Have you seen your mother and me?”

Eiji remembered the last time they had family dinner that almost resulted in a 3 round knock out drag out fight featuring Ash and his mother. “It’s only for a day, not even a full day. Well, maybe a day. Mom’s going to insist we stay the night, but it will go by so quickly and then we will have all the beach fun we could desire.” 

Ash groaned. “But your mother!”

“Is going to be learning she is a grandmother on this trip. I figured you would want to get this out of the way now before you start showing and definitely don’t want to see her.” 

“I don’t want to see her now,” Ash grumbled. 

“Please?” Eiji kissed his husband. “For me?” 

Ash sighed, “Only because I love you.” 

“That’s all I ask.” Eiji smiled and hugged Ash. “I’ll give them a call and get some dates set up.” 

Ash nodded, unhappy about it but knowing that it needed to happen. Eiji was right about one thing, he would rather get it done now before any big changes started affecting him. 

“Hey,” Eiji whispered. 

“Hmmm?” 

“I love you.” 

Ash rolled his eyes. “I love you too, jerk. Now go to sleep.” He cuddled with Eiji and Eiji couldn’t help but smile as he held his husband. 

####

“Thanks again Mrs. Sato,” Eiji bowed to his neighbor after giving her the spare key to their apartment. 

“Oh it’s no trouble at all,” The middle-aged woman insisted. “Buddy is such a good dog. Don’t you two worry about a thing.”

“We will be back on Monday,” Eiji waved and rushed to meet up with Ash who was carrying their luggage out. He kissed Ash’s cheek and took the luggage from him. “Let’s go.” 

Ash followed Eiji to the train station and they got comfortable for their 10-hour trip. 

Ash slept through most of it, resting his head on Eiji’s shoulder as the Japanese man worked on his laptop.

The one thing about living in Japan was that Ash felt much safer than Manhattan. Bus, train, subway, public sidewalks, he didn’t fear them. 

The train pulled into the station in Izumo and Eiji woke Ash before grabbing their bags and leading the way, holding his Omega’s hand as he navigated the busy station. 

It wasn’t far from the Okumura residence, but Eiji insisted that they took a bus. He didn’t want his pregnant mate walking, though Ash assured him that he was fine. 

Ash was almost two months along now, but it wasn’t noticeable. 

The two were on the bus for 2 stops before departing. From the bus stop, it was a short walk to the house and when they arrived, Eiji held the gate open for Ash and knocked on the front door. 

A Japanese woman opened the door. Her black hair was streaked with white and she was a few inches shorter than her son. “Eiji!” She hugged him and wiggled a little from excitement. “You look so good! A little skinny though. Come in. Come in. You must be starving. Dinner is almost done.” 

“Thanks, mom. I’m going to put our bags down in my room.” Eiji said, walking into the house, taking off his shoes. 

The smile on the woman’s face dropped when she looked at Ash. “Aslan.” 

“Makoto.” Ash returned with the same blank expression on his face. 

Makoto seemed to analyze Ash. “Your face is fat.” 

Ash was thrown off by the randomness of the insult. 

“You Americans eat too much crap,” Makoto said in her broken English. “No wonder my son is so skinny. He’s not eating!” 

Ash didn’t wait to be invited in because if Makoto had her way, he wouldn’t be. He took off his shoes and walked to Eiji’s room as he was coming out. 

Eiji hugged Ash. “Who won the first round?” He chuckled. 

“We are putting her in a home.” 

Eiji rolled his eyes with a laugh. “Yes, love.” 

Misa, Eiji’s younger sister, came out of her room. “I knew I smelled an omega. He must be in the wrong house, my brother is nowhere near good enough to land a foreigner omega. ” 

“It must be the accent.” Ash hugged her. Misa always made time to mention that she loved his American accent, which he didn’t fully understand but he went with it. 

“Dinner is ready!” Makoto called to her family as she readied the table. 

They all herded into the kitchen and Eiji’s father, Shouto, was reading the paper. He smiled at his son, “Eiji! Welcome home.” 

Eiji grinned, “Thanks, Dad.” 

Shouto looked at Ash, “And there is my handsome son-in-law. Sorry, I can’t stand for greetings. The doctor says I need to rest them stitches as much as I can.” 

Ash bowed his head. “Please don’t trouble yourself.”

“Sit down. Dinner is ready,” Makoto scolded, pulling out a seat for Eiji.

Eiji sat by his father and Ash moved to sit beside him, but Makoto sat on the other side.   
Ash walked to the other side and sat across from his husband by Misa. 

Makoto began to load up plates after giving grace. She made sure Eiji and the rest of her family’s plates were full and for Ash’s plate, she made it as scarce as possible.

Ash didn’t care. If he was still hungry after dinner, he would ditch this place for the convenience store. It gave him a good reason to get out, so he preferred it this way. 

As they began to eat, Makoto ranted about new things in the neighborhood, how Misa was doing in college, and how Shouto’s most recent surgery went, but her attention soon turned on her son. 

“Well, there was something that Ash and I wanted to tell you.” 

Ash almost chocked on a piece of broccoli, he was expecting Eiji to ease into the topic of him being pregnant, not just barrel into it. 

As soon as Ash’s name was brought up, Makoto lost interest. She was paying attention, but she wasn’t as attentive as before. 

“Ash and I are expecting.” Eiji grinned and it earned a gasp from Misa who jumped up and danced with excitement as Shouto and Makoto were left shocked. 

“I’m going to be an aunt! Please tell me, you aren’t joking.” She turned to Ash for verification. 

Ash chuckled, a bright red coloring his face as everyone turned to look at him. “I’m pregnant.” 

Misa squealed and hugged Ash.

Shouto patted Eiji on his back. “‘Atta boy!” 

Makoto huffed, “Well I knew.” She said and picked up the rice paddle to shovel more rice onto Ash’s plate. “You only get puffy cheeks like that when you are with child.” 

Ash rolled eyes his eyes but was impressed to see her giving him food off her plate. “I’m fine. I was just going to get some take out after this.” 

“No grandchild of mine will be living off take out! I don’t know your customs in America, but here, you will have a full belly of healthy food so my grandbaby can be happy healthy.” Makoto turned to Eiji. “You should have told me so I could have made more!” She scolded her son. 

“We were going to surprise you.” Eiji defended with a laugh as his mother turned on him instead of his husband. 

Ash ate his fill of dinner, even accepting seconds. 

####

Ash laid with his husband, getting ready for bed. 

They heard a knock on the door and Makoto peaked her head in. “Are you certain that you don’t need another pillow? Maybe some hot tea?” 

“No thanks.” Ash declined. 

“Alright. Goodnight.” She said to the two and left them alone. 

Eiji chuckled. “I guess all it took for my mother to like you was for me to get you pregnant.” 

Ash playfully punched Eiji’s arm. 

Eiji laughed. “Thank you for doing this, now as promised. Tomorrow we are going to the beach.” 

Ash kissed Eiji. “That sounds wonderful.” 

“Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight.”


	9. Chapter 9

Ash sat up in a cold sweat. He looked over at Eiji who was sleeping soundlessly beside him, none the wiser about his husband’s night terror. Ash looked at the time, 5:24 am. He knew he wasn’t going back to sleep after a nightmare like that. He took a shower but it did nothing to wash his anxiety away. 

When he stepped out of the shower, he looked at himself in the mirror. He was almost 4 months pregnant, his stomach finally starting to show it. He gently touched his stomach, smiling softly before getting changed into some clean clothes and walking into the living room.

Curious, Buddy followed him with his tail wagging. 

Ash turned on the television to watch some news and began to brew some coffee. He sat on the couch with Buddy and a picture album caught his eye. He grabbed the album and flipped it open to be greeted by familiar faces of long ago. 

The first picture was of Shorter and Ash. Shorter’s arm was wrapped around Ash’s neck and the mohawked man was flashing a peace sign at the camera while Ash looked uncomfortable in the picture, grimacing more than smiling. 

Ash chuckled and flipped to the next page. 

The next few pictures were of himself doing various things between talking to some of his fellow gang members to taking a nap on the hangout’s rooftop. Eiji had an infatuation with taking candid photos of him when they first met. 

Ash flipped the page and without even realizing it, his eyes stung with tears that threatened to fall as he looked at the picture of Skipper. Ash closed the book and wiped at his eyes.

“You’re up early.” Eiji yawned and then grew serious when he saw how red his Omega’s eyes were. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?” He knelt before Ash, inspecting him. 

“I’m fine.” Ash laughed and gently patted the photo album. “I just had a nightmare and these aren’t helping.”

“You miss them.” 

Ash nodded. 

Eiji made himself comfortable on the couch beside Ash, hugging him. “It’s okay to miss them. You know that you never properly mourned them at the time.” 

“I know but it’s been almost 8 years.” 

“It’s never too late to grieve for someone you’ve lost,” Eiji said softly.

Ash flipped the book open to look at the picture of Shorter. “If you didn’t come along, I was going to ask Shorter to make me his mate.” 

This was news to Eiji, but he wasn’t shocked by it. Ash and Shorter had a good dynamic. Shorter was a powerful alpha, unlike Eiji, and he cared for Ash. Shorter had known about Ash’s second gender even when he was under the illegal suppressants. Ash had trusted Shorter with everything and when Eiji first met Shorter, he figured that the two had a previous history. 

Ash smiled. “I would still be in the streets fighting if I mated with Shorter, you are much healthier for me, but I miss him so much.” 

“Do you want to know what I believe?” Eiji asked. 

Ash’s interest was piqued. “Hmmm?” 

“I believe when I’m not around, Shorter is watching over you in my stead.” 

Ash smiled and flipped a few pages to stop on the candid photo of him sleeping. “You had issues.” He joked. 

“What? You were cute and I had a crush, okay?” Eiji panicked, getting defensive as he blushed bright red. 

“But you kept the photos.” 

“They are good pictures!” Eiji defended. 

Ash laughed. He really needed that. He then grew serious and looked at Eiji. “Have I ever told you about my first miscarriage?” 

Eiji shook his head. “No, but are you sure you want to talk about that?” He asked, gently resting a hand on Ash’s stomach. 

Ash laid his hand over Eiji’s “No, but I want to.” Ash took a deep breath. “I was 13 at the time.” 

Eiji felt sick to his stomach.

“I knew from the morning sickness that I was pregnant. Dino kept me under lock and key back then. I remembered breaking the window and scaling down the 3 stories. It wasn’t my first time escaping so he had his goons chase me, but I lost them once I finally got into Manhattan. I pickpocketed to survive, finding myself a little hole in the wall. No one bothered me, after all, a pregnant omega is no fun.” 

Eiji hated hearing Ash demean himself, but he refused to interrupt. 

“I honestly thought that I was free. I thought I would have the baby and then go back to my father and beg on my knees for him to take me back. And if he wouldn’t, I was going to live on my own and take care of my baby by myself with no alpha. Anyway, I don’t know if it was just the anxiety or the stress of the situation, but I woke up one day to blood-covered sheets. I rushed to the hospital and they told me I miscarried. I was devastated. It threw me into a deep depression until Skip came along.” Ash turned the page to Skip’s picture. Ash smiled proudly as he gently touched the picture. “I was scrounging for food in this grocery store garbage bin and found him doing the same. He was only about 8 and I instantly felt a connection.”

“You imprinted on him.” 

Ash nodded. “I did. I took him in and we did everything together. He,” Tears finally fell down Ash’s cheeks. “He became my son.” 

Eiji gently rubbed Ash’s back. 

“I provided food for him and helped him. His own mother had abandoned him, but I filled that role. I was happy to have him. I didn’t care the number of times Dino caught me and pulled me back into the life of his sex slave, I finally had someone to escape to.” Ash’s smile fell, “But Dino found that out too. Worst of all Marvin. And you know the story from there, they targeted him that day. They took him away from me like they took everything else.” Ash broke down and Eiji hugged him.

Ash wrapped his arms around his husband and cried as Eiji held him. 

Buddy nosed his way in between them, wanting attention as his tail wagged slowly. 

Ash and Eiji laughed and they included Buddy in the hug; the retriever’s tail wagging at 100 miles per hour. 

Eiji held Ash as he cried which lasted about 45 minutes. The blond wore himself out, resting his head against his husband’s shoulder. 

After a few minutes, Eiji could hear the soft deep breaths of Ash in peaceful sleep. He carefully laid Ash down, tucking a pillow under his head and covering him with a blanket before giving him a soft kiss on the forehead and whispering in his ear, “I love you.”

Ash smiled in his sleep and Eiji wondered if it was because of his words or if the omega was finally having good dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Ash looked between the ledger and his spreadsheet to make certain he got the numbers right. He sighed and reached for his coffee mug and was disappointed to find a water bottle. He sighed to himself. 

Right! No caffeine.

Ash sighed and begrudgingly drank the water. He felt odd. He looked over his shoulder and saw his coworker, Hinata, looking at him above their cubicle divider. Ash couldn’t help but chuckle, “Can I help you?” 

“Something is off about you.” She said, squinting a bit. 

A small smile curled at his lips as he continued working. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No something is definitely off.” 

Ash was five months pregnant, but he hid it well with his dress shirt and coat.

“What’s going on?” Another coworker asked, peaking around the sectional. Her name was Yuki. 

“Ash is up to something,” Hinata answered.

“Really?” Yuki asked.

“Is my space not private anymore?” Ash asked, trying to return back to work. 

“Was it ever?” Yuki asked. 

Ash looked at her and chuckled. “Fine, whatever.” 

“So, do you want to get a drink with us after work?” Hinata asked. 

“I can’t.” 

“Why not?” Hinata pouted.

“It’s my turn to cook tonight.” 

“Bring Eiji with you! I’ve been wanting to meet your husband.” Yuki said. 

“He doesn’t drink,” Ash said, which wasn’t a lie. Eiji typically stayed away from alcohol for the most part, only on special occasions did he partake in champagne or wine.   
“Boo! I think you are trying to hide him from us.” Hinata grinned. 

Ash shrugged. “Or am I trying to hide you guys from him?” 

“So rude! We bring smiles into your life.” 

Ash chuckled, “Sure.” 

While Hinata cut up with Ash, Yuki watched him before some things began to click. Her eyes widened. “Wait! Are you-? You know.” 

“Wait what?” Hinata asked, trying to keep up. 

“No coffee, no alcohol, you are wearing a coat during summer. Ash are you pregnant?” Yuki asked softly. 

“What?! Ash is pregnant?!” Hinata yelled out, loud enough for the whole finance department to hear. 

Ash put his face in his hands.

“Hinata!” Yuki scolded. 

Well, at least he didn’t have to send out an email. He nodded. “I’m pregnant.” He admitted. 

“I knew it!” Yuki smiled. “How far along are you?” 

Ash gently rested his hand on his belly and rubbed it, “Five months.” 

For the rest of the day, everyone was congratulating him and asking him questions about his pregnancy. 

Hinata and Yuki walked him to the station to make certain he was safe before heading to their own train line. 

Ash arrived home and entered, smelling stir fry cooking. “Wait! I thought it was my turn to cook tonight.” Ash took off his jacket and set down his bag before walking into the living room and was surprised to find a familiar face sitting opposite his husband. A grin broke across his face. “Sing.” 

Sing smiled and stood, “There’s the Lynx.” 

Ash patted him on the back. “What are you doing here?” 

“The fiance and I are moving out here.” 

“Fiance?” 

Sing rubbed the back of his neck. “Akira Ibe.” 

“No way!” Ash exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief. “Like Shunichi Ibe?” 

“His niece.” Sing clarified. “She’s amazing and we’re ready to get out of New York and start a family. Speaking of which, I heard you’ve finally decided to branch out your own family.” 

Ash smiled and placed a hand on his belly. “Did a little bird tell you that?” 

“Be nice,” Eiji whispered in his omega’s ear before kissing his cheek as he walked past to go see to dinner. 

Ash carefully sat down and rubbed his belly. “Yeah. Eiji and I decided it was time.” 

The two caught up on things like the gang wars in New York and how Sing met Akira which lead to questions on Ash and Eiji’s relationship and how things have been going. 

Sing had dinner with the couple and as it got late, Eiji offered the sofa for Sing but Sing insisted that he encroached on their time long enough.

Having almost forgotten, Sing pulled an envelope out from his jacket pocket and handed it to Eiji. 

“What’s this?” Eiji asked. 

Sing smirked. “A wedding invite. It’s going to be small but you two should come. I don’t think I’ll hear the end of it from Akira if I don’t have at least a few seats on my side of the church filled.” 

Eiji and Ash laughed. “We’d love to be there,” Ash promised. 

With a wave, Sing was out the door. 

Ash crossed his arms and turned to his alpha. “Why didn’t you tell me that he was coming?” 

Eiji grinned. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.” 

“Is it really good to be surprising me right now?” Ash asked, rubbing his belly. 

Eiji grinned sheepishly. “You’re right.” 

“Still,” Ash kissed Eiji’s cheek. “It was nice to see him.” He admitted. “Now, I’m going to go take a shower and get in bed because I’m exhausted. You made an amazing dinner and the baby is happy with it too so I’m going to enjoy this peace and lay down.”

Eiji laughed. “Do you need anything from me?” 

Ash thought about it. “I think I would literally orgasm if you gave me a food rub.” 

“Well, I’m going to clean up. Let me know when you want that foot rub.” 

Ash sighed. “I fucking love you.” He said as he disappeared into the bathroom to shower. 

“I love you too.”


End file.
